When small passenger cars are towed in Taipei City, the towing fee is NT$1,500 and the storage fee is NT$200 per half-day within the first 5 days; for motorcycles, the towing fee is NT$200 and storage is NT$50 per half-day. In New Taipei City, passenger car towing is NT$880 and storage is NT$200 per day; motorcycle towing is NT$175 and storage is NT$50 per day. These outlays cover physical towing and custody storage; traffic violation fines are levied separately.
Important Reminder: If your vehicle is missing, first inspect the pavement at the parking spot where towing crews write the license plate, impound yard name, and phone number in chalk; if illegible, use online inquiry portals. New Taipei Transportation Department guidelines state vehicle damage claims must be filed before exiting impound yards; claims filed after departure are rejected. Taipei rates adjusted effective January 1, 2026 (115 年 1 月 1 日起) per municipal notices.
Locating Your Towed Vehicle
| Inspection Method | Taipei City | New Taipei City |
|---|
| Pavement Chalk Markings | Towing crews write plate number, impound lot name, and telephone on pavement in chalk (Taipei Police Towing Operating Regulations). | On-duty police officers write vehicle plate, impound yard, and phone on ground (New Taipei Ordinance Art. 6). |
| Online Vehicle Inquiry | Taipei Police Traffic Division Towed Vehicle Inquiry System (enter license plate number). | New Taipei City Towed Vehicle Inquiry Portal (carweb.ntpc.gov.tw). |
| Telephone Inquiry | 1999 Citizen Hotline (outside Taipei dial 02-27208889). | New Taipei Towing Voice Inquiry System 02-2225-7666 (Police Traffic Division FAQ, published 2019 / 108 年). |
If zero towing records or chalk marks exist, dial 110 immediately to check if the vehicle was stolen. Under New Taipei rules, vehicles towed after reported theft timestamps (based on police report forms) are exempt from towing and custody fees.
Towing and Custody Storage Fee Comparison
Taipei bills storage per half-day (12 hours) while New Taipei bills per full calendar day (24 hours), with divergent grace periods:
| Vehicle Category / Billing Rule | Taipei City (Effective Jan 1, 2026 / 115 年 1 月 1 日) | New Taipei City (Ordinance Amended July 29, 2024 / 113 年 7 月 29 日) |
|---|
| Motorcycle Towing Fee | NT$200 per vehicle per tow (includes light and heavy motorcycles). | NT$175 per vehicle per tow for ordinary heavy and light scooters. |
| Motorcycle Storage Fee | Within 5 days: NT$50 per half-day; Beyond 5 days: NT$75 per half-day. | NT$50 per day. |
| Small Passenger / Cargo Car Towing | NT$1,500 per vehicle per tow (includes large heavy motorcycles). | NT$880 per vehicle per tow (includes large heavy motorcycles). |
| Small Passenger Car Storage Fee | Within 5 days: NT$200 per half-day; Beyond 5 days: NT$300 per half-day. | NT$200 per day. |
| Large Commercial Vehicle (Buses / Heavy Trucks) | Towing NT$3,000; Storage NT$500 per half-day (beyond 5 days NT$750). | Towing NT$4,400; Storage NT$500 per day. |
| Storage Fee Free Grace Period | Less than 1 hour after arrival at yard. | Less than 3 hours after arrival at yard. |
| Calculation Increments | 1 to 12 hours billed as 1 half-day; each 12-hour block billed once. | 3 to 12 hours billed as half-day; over 12 to 24 hours billed as 1 day; capped at 120 days. |
Large Heavy Motorcycles (Yellow / Red Plate): Under Article 92 of the Road Traffic Management and Penalty Act (道路交通管理處罰條例第 92 條), large heavy motorcycles follow passenger car rules; in Taipei, towing is NT$1,500 and storage is NT$200 per half-day, whereas New Taipei explicitly codifies large heavy bikes at NT$880 towing and NT$200 per day. Standard 125cc scooters pay the NT$200 (Taipei) or NT$175 (New Taipei) rate.
Simulation: A car towed in the evening and retrieved the next morning (stored between 12 and 24 hours) costs NT$1,500 plus 2 half-days at NT$400 total (2 個半日 400 元) equaling NT$1,900 in Taipei, and NT$880 + NT$200 = NT$1,080 in New Taipei. Taipei's amendment stems from the municipal ordinance passed December 30, 2025 (114 年 12 月 30 日修正) taking effect on day 3 pursuant to Local Government Act Article 32 Paragraph 4 on January 1, 2026. Vehicles parked over 10 days in identical roadside stalls receive 5-day notices before towing. For parking rules, review our roadside parking fee guide.
Vehicle Retrieval: Required Documents and Service Hours
- Required Documents: Present Vehicle Registration Certificate (行車執照), Driver License, or original factory inspection documents alongside an affidavit if registration is missing. Under Article 10 of Taipei's ordinance, yard staff verify ID and record recipient names and addresses.
- Fee Payment: Settle towing and storage charges; Taipei yards issue official municipal receipts. Under towing regulations, yards cannot refuse credit card payments by claiming machine malfunction.
- Traffic Citation Settlement: Enforcement Rule Article 48 Paragraph 4 permits paying traffic fines simultaneously at impound yards. In New Taipei, same-day retrievals allow paying fines or signing citations; after day 2, citations are mailed by registered post.
- Operating Hours: Under New Taipei Police Traffic Division announcements (issued Jan 1, 2026 / 115-01-01), service hours operate from 07:00 to 23:00 starting July 1, 2026 (115 年 7 月 1 日起), with towing executed weekdays 07:00–21:00 and holidays 08:00–21:00. Taipei supervisors remain on-site 09:00 to 23:00; call ahead to verify exact hours.
Towing Operating Hours and Illegal Parking Fines
Towing authority derives from Articles 56-4 and 85-3 of the Road Traffic Management and Penalty Act. Parking fines under Article 56 range from NT$600 to NT$1,200 for standard illegal parking, and NT$1,800 to NT$3,000 for double parking. Under unified criteria, timely payments for red line parking assess NT$600 for motorcycles and NT$900 for cars.
Taipei police towing operational regulations (amended Sept 2014 / 103 年 9 月) specify towing hours on red lines from 07:00 to 21:00, yellow lines 07:00 to 20:00 (extended to 23:00 near night markets). Fire lanes are towed 24 hours without restriction.
If drivers arrive before vehicles are hoisted and moved, showing driver licenses and registrations prompts police to halt towing, issue citations, and order drivers to drive away; once moved or loaded onto flatbeds, towing cannot be halted. Manage citations in our traffic ticket lookup and payment guide.
Disputed Towing and Handling Vehicle Damage
- Taipei City: Under Directive Clause 5, motorists disputing towing must still pay towing and storage fees before filing appeals with traffic adjudications or police divisions. If damage occurs, tow firms negotiate repairs; if unresolved within 3 days, police demand video evidence, deeming lack of proof an admission of liability. Successful appeals offer up to NT$250 transit subsidies.
- New Taipei City: Address violation disputes to the Police Department and private yard service/damage claims to the Transportation Department. If citations are overturned, towing and storage fees are refunded. Fines are appealed via the New Taipei Traffic Adjudication Office (switchboard 02-8978-6101).
Unclaimed vehicles face auction: Taipei Article 7 notices owners after 5 days to retrieve vehicles within 15 days, auctioning after 3 months; New Taipei Article 7 notices owners after 3 days to retrieve within 20 days, auctioning after 1 month under Article 85-3. Storage fees accumulate continuously (capped at 120 days in New Taipei). Find legal parking using our Taipei parking availability tool and New Taipei parking availability tool.
Frequently Asked Questions
Can Citations Be Revoked If You Did Not Hear the Towing Horn/Loudspeaker?
No. New Taipei Transportation Department FAQs (published August 18, 2025) clarify that loudspeaker broadcasts are courtesy reminders, bearing zero legal bearing on violation validity.
Can You Stop Towing If You Arrive Just as the Tow Truck Operates?
Yes, but only before vehicle wheels are hoisted and moved. Present your license and registration to receive a ticket on-site and drive away; once the vehicle moves or a motorcycle is loaded, it cannot be released on-site.
Are Towing Charges and Traffic Fines the Same Payment?
No. Towing and storage fees pay for physical towing operations and must be settled at impound yards; illegal parking fines are statutory administrative penalties governed by Article 56.
Why Do Towing Charges Differ Between Taipei and New Taipei?
Fees are enacted under separate municipal self-governance ordinances. Taipei raised passenger car towing to NT$1,500 with half-day storage on January 1, 2026, whereas New Taipei charges NT$880 and NT$200 daily storage.
Last updated: 2026-10-31.
Sources
- Taipei Regulations System: Impeded Road Traffic and Abandoned Vehicle Ordinance (amended Dec 30, 2025; 114 年 12 月 30 日, verified 2026-10-31): Articles 2, 3, 5–10: 10-day overtime parking, towing, 5-day notice with 15-day retrieval, 3-month auction.
- Taipei Regulations System: Schedule of Towing and Custody Fee Rates PDF (verified 2026-10-31): Towing fees across vehicle types, half-day storage, and 1-hour free grace period.
- Taipei Parking Management and Development Office: How to Inquire and Retrieve Towed Vehicles (updated 115-08-06, verified 2026-10-31): 1999 hotlines, towed vehicle lookup portal, required documents, and receipts.
- Taipei Police Traffic Division: Towed Vehicle Retrieval FAQ (updated 115-07-28, verified 2026-10-31): Car and heavy motorcycle towing NT$1,500, storage NT$200 per half-day; motorcycle towing NT$200, storage NT$50.
- Taipei Transportation Department Press Release: Overtime Parking Shortened to 10 Days Effective Jan 1, 2026 (published 115-01-02, verified 2026-10-31): Effective date, 10-day rule, 5-day deadline, fee changes.
- Laws and Regulations Database: Local Government Act Article 32 (verified 2026-10-31): Self-governance ordinances take effect on the 3rd day following promulgation.
- Taipei Regulations System: Vehicle Towing and Custody Operating Regulations (amended Sept 9, 2014; 103 年 9 月 9 日, verified 2026-10-31): Towing time windows, stopping before movement, chalk markings, credit card payments, damage negotiations, NT$250 transit aid.
- New Taipei Regulations System: Impeded Traffic Vehicle Towing Ordinance (amended July 29, 2024; 113 年 7 月 29 日, verified 2026-10-31): Article 6 markings, Article 7 3-day notice and 20-day retrieval, Article 8 fees, Article 9 billing calculations.
- New Taipei Police Traffic Division: Impound Yard Locations (published 115-01-01, verified 2026-10-31): Service hours 07:00–23:00 effective July 1, 2026 (115 年 7 月 1 日), operational hours, and yard rosters.
- New Taipei Police Traffic Division: Where to Inquire About Towed Vehicles (published Jan 7, 2019; 108-01-07, verified 2026-10-31): Pavement chalk marks, voice inquiry line 02-2225-7666.
- New Taipei Transportation Department: Towing FAQ (published 2017-01-04 through 2025-08-18, verified 2026-10-31): Pre-departure vehicle damage claims, fine collections, stolen vehicle fee waivers, and loudspeaker announcements.
- Laws and Regulations Database: Road Traffic Management and Penalty Act (amended Aug 17, 2026; 115 年 8 月 17 日, verified 2026-10-31): Article 56 illegal parking fines and towing, Article 85-3 towing fees and auctions, Article 92 heavy motorcycle rules.
- Laws and Regulations Database: Unified Penalty Criteria for Traffic Violations PDF (verified 2026-10-31): Article 56 Paragraph 1 Item 1 motorcycle NT$600, small car NT$900 timely payment fines.
Related reading: Stopping on Red or Yellow Lines in Taiwan: Rules and Fines · Report Illegal Parking in Taipei and New Taipei: 7-Day Limit
